Twenty One
by peroxidelove
Summary: William Pratt has a dilemma; he’s fallen hard for the daughter of the man who trusts him above all others to protect her just as he had protected William. They say love knows no boundaries, but does that include some twenty odd years?
1. Chapter I

Author's Note:

The daughter and the best friend. How am I going to make this work? There'll be a significant focus on the trust issue, but just as much on the sordid love affair :)

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Twenty one.

That was how old he'd been when he cradled her in his arms as a new born.

Fortunate.

That was how he'd felt holding her, the baby daughter of the man he considered older brother and mentor.

Eighteen.

Was how old she had just turned.

Bombshell.

Was the word of choice everyone used to describe her.

Thirty nine.

The birthday at which he realised he was done for.

* * *

'I'm so sorry Mr. Summers. There was nothing the doctors could do.'

'God.'

Bringing his hand to his brow, Liam Summers closed his eyes in resign as he took in the news of his.

'How did the- Was there pain?'

'No sir. The medications would have numbed them significantly.'

'Can I see them?'

'Of course sir, just this way.'

* * *

As though in a trance, he followed the young nurse down the hospital corridor where she led him into private room where the body of his beloved lay beneath a sheet. Pulling it back he leant forward to place a kiss on her forehead, struggling to hold back a sob. He remained still for just a moment, taking consolation in the familiar scent and softness of her skin. Hearing the nurse leaving to give him some peace, he quickly straightened.

'Wait, nurse. The- the baby, why isn't …I'd like to see…Was it a girl?'

Glancing down at the lifeless form before him, he gently cleared his throat.

'We hoped it'd be a girl.'

The nurse's brow furrowed for a moment before a small smile coloured her features.

'Yes sir, you have a little girl. I was just about to bring her to you; she's in the incubation ward. This is hardly the pl-'

Shaking his head in confusion, he looked with wonder at the nurse before him.

'Girl? You mean she's alive?'

'Yes Mr. Summers. There were some complications but I believe she's stablised now. I'm sorry I couldn't bring her to you earlier. If you return to maternity waiting area I can have her brought out to you.'

Acknowledging the man's nod, she gestured to the door before adding,

'She's waiting for you.'

* * *

Seeing the silhouette of his best mate returning to the waiting area, William Pratt rose from his seat in anticipation. He knew Darla's pregnancy had been riddled with complications, but the lass he had grown to know was a fighter. Yet the expression he saw etched on Liam's face phased him somewhat. But as the eyes of his friend raised to meet his, he knew the impossible had happened. He remained silent.

'Will, she—she's gone. Didn't make it.'

Dropping his head in disbelief, he placed a comforting hand on Liam's arm.

'She was a special one. I'm sorry.'

But just as William was about to ask about the child, the young nurse spoke up,

'Mr. Summers? Here she is. Your little girl. Congratulations.'

Offering the baby carefully to her father, she looked tentatively from his shaking arms to watering eyes.

'Perhaps you should sit down.'

Feeling completely immobile in amazement and devastation, he turned to the young man beside him, gesturing for William to hold his baby daughter. William's large blue eyes widened even further as he took in the sight of the new blonde cherub, gasping in pleasant surprise when her fragile eye lids flicked open to reveal deep emerald green eyes.

For a large portion of his life, William had surrounded himself with the dark and dangerous, but at this time he had never felt so fortunate that his path had taken the turn it had.

'Beautiful, Liam. She's perfect.'

* * *

_Perfect._

He thought as he watched her descend the steps in a pair of killer black stiletto heels. Flicking back a structured, golden curl she stood at the base of the staircase with her hands behind her back.

'So, what do you think?'

William took in the sight of her slim form and the figure hugging, mid-thigh, lace cream dress which covered it. Usually he prided himself on his ability to articulate his thoughts into words, but for once he didn't seem to be able to think of any suitable.

Watching in amusement as her best friend/pretend big brother opened and closed his mouth; she felt a smirk begin to tinge her lips.

'Hm, I take you approve?'

Taking a step closer to him, she gave him a sweeping glance from foot to head.

'But I must say…I certainly approve.'

He shyly ducked his head, running a hand through his platinum hair.

'Buffy. You- you look…breath-taking. So, so beautiful. I'm sorry- I just…I don't. Amazing, love. Your mum would be so proud. I know it.'

She blinked at his mention of her mother before smiling softly and taking his elbow.

'Thanks, Will. Come on, they told us to take our time getting there, but I don't think they meant for us to be this late!'


	2. Chapter II

A/N: Party time!

* * *

'HIP-HIP HOORAY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUFFY!'

The Summers family and friends shouted over the thudding club music in the background.

William stood beside Liam, enchanted by the vision of a smiling Buffy illuminated by the soft glow of the eighteen candles which decorated the cake. Watching as she bent forward gracefully, pulling her blonde locks to one side to blow out the flames, he was pulled out of his revelry as he registered a sigh from the man next to him. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he turned. The two men shared an understanding look of pride and wonder over the now, young woman, who had brought such light to their lives. Liam raised his glass.

'To family?'

'One like no other.'

_Clink._

_

* * *

  
_

Seated away from the party at the emptiest spot of the bar she could find, Buffy stared down into the martini glass on the bar top in front of her. _Eighteen._ The last few months leading to her birthday and legally declared freedom had felt so painfully slow she had actually began to wonder if the day would ever come at all. Running the toothpick through salt which decorated the rim of the glass, she smiled recalling the image of her dad and William toasting when they thought she had been preoccupied candle-blowing. The two most important people in her life, they had always tried their hardest to make sure her childhood would be a fruitful one where she wouldn't be too pained by the absence of her mother. But that didn't mean that they completely overlooked her. The stories of her mother were amongst her most favourite of their family tales, and ones that she certainly appreciated hearing as she had grown. She hoped that she would be able to shape herself to take on some of her mother's characteristics, the generosity she had heard so much about. Generosity. That was something that ran in their little 'family'.

It was what had brought her dad and William together in the first place, or so she had gathered from the little she had been told.

_When you're a big girl Buffy. When you're older, we'll tell you everything. _

It had been the same gramophone reply every time she'd asked. She chuckled quietly to herself. _Big girl._ _If I'm not big enough now, I'll never find out. And if they had told me __**before **__I'd gotten 'big' then maybe I wouldn't be getting constantly distracted thinking about those sky-blue eyes and cheekbones, that tendon which bulges when he clenches his jaw, and the way the muscles and veins in his forearms twist when he —_

'You know… usually the guest of honour is supposed to out there…being honoured…by the guests.'

Shaken violently from her thoughts she exclaimed,

'Oh! Jeez Spike! You know I hate it when you do that! Urg!'

With a laugh he took a seat on the bar stool next to her.

'Sorry, love. Couldn't resist I guess, you looked so…far off, and people were wondering where you'd—did you just call me Spike? How the hell did you hear about that name?'

'Dad, actually. He slipped up a couple a times when we were talking about you. It's a cool name, very…punk rocker,' she added with a conclusive nod and cheeky grin.

'You don't know the half of it,' he exhaled with a tilt of his head, the corner of his mouth lifting in a smile.

'And it matches the hair I suppose. You should think about adding some eye-liner with tha—hey! Cut it out!' she giggled as she dodged his playful punches.

'Well pet, I'm glad you can get such a good laugh out of it,' he said reaching over to pull her martini glass towards him. 'Don't mind do you?'

'Uh, yes I do actually! Get your own!' She tried slapping away the hand that grasped her wrist and held her at bay, giving up her struggle and swallowing hard as she watched his tongue dart out to sample her drink.

Giving her a smug look over the rim of the glass he replied, 'Is technically mine love, I did pay for it after all.'

Laughing Buffy leaned over to give a peck on a marble sculpted cheekbone,

'I know, thank you for tonight Will. I haven't thanked you yet.'

Shrugging he said, 'Hardly the best present though. You never told me what you wanted in terms of the conventional wrapped-with-ribbon present.'

'There's nothing, really. This is perfect.'

With a sigh of content, Buffy again began playing with the abandoned toothpick as her previous thoughts returned to her and her smile slowly faded.

'On second thought…but, no, no it still doesn't fall under the wrapped-with ribbon category.'

'You name it love, anything.'

Considering the blonde before her, she turned so she would be properly facing him.

'Your story.'

'Oh. Maybe not so anything.'

He'd hoped against all hope that she'd not raise the question about his past, dubious as it was. He wasn't even fully aware of the reason why he was so uncomfortable with revealing his past to her. He had already told her everything else about himself. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he fought against the thrall of her eyes, wide with frustration tinged with a touch of hope.

'What?! Oh Will, come on! You have got to be kidding me. My God, how much longer to I have to wait? Did you and dad actually plan to tell me _ever_?'

She jumped down from the stool in a huff and turned away, pouting, her irritation ebbing off her in waves.

'Buff- sweetheart. Wait. Look, I'll- I guess…there's no harm in telling you a bit. But, just for a while, let's just keep what I have to say between ourselves yeah?'

At this she turned back to him, brow furrowed before she fully registered his consent. Her delicate features lit up with a smile,

'You mean, like a secret? Sure!'


	3. Chapter III

Arm in arm, the blonde duo made their way up to the nightclub's open air balcony, the quiet, dark, secluded venue ideal for narrative which was about to be revealed. On stepping outside, they felt the chilly night breeze hit them immediately. As they made their way to a little corner of the balcony, William removed his jacket to drape around Buffy's shoulders. Standing behind her, he casually wrapped his arms around her waist, shielding her from the cold. Buffy leaned back into his chest. While a significant portion of her felt completely comfortable and comforted by his embrace, the emerging woman in her couldn't help but revel in the, albeit unintentional, intimacy of their position. She sighed in content and closed her eyes. He spoke in a deep, transfixing voice,

'From the beginning?'

'Yes Mr. Pratt, from the beginning.'

* * *

'England, it would have just turned1975. My father; he died.'

Buffy's eyes opened wide at this. It was the first time she'd heard of his either of his parents; for some reason she'd never really paid them much thought. She placed a hand over his which rested clasped against her abdomen and spoke softly,

'So young, you were just four.'

He shifted at her touch, finding it soothing as he delved deep into his past and encountered memories which he had worked so hard to stop from resurfacing. He found it easier than he had thought it would be; maybe it was because he was doing it of his own free will. Then again, maybe it was because he was doing it for her.

'Well, later on I learnt that "died" was just codeword for "ran off with another woman". So that just left the three of us.'

'Three?'

'Yeah pet. Me, Mother and big brother; seventeen at the time, never understood the age difference between us. Had an older sister too come think of it, but she'd gone off to work before the old man buggered off. She and I never met,' he scoffed then added, 'We'd all figured we'd never see her again.'

Buffy turned her head to him and looked up, 'What were their names? Your brother and sister.'

'Edward and Rosie. Don't remember much after that though. I turned six and Edward ran off too. Huh. And then there were two. I guess I should have told you before…but this isn't the happiest of stories…sure you want me to keep going luv?'

'Mm-hm, keep going. Don't stop.'

'Right…well, she was something, my mother. She was…uh, everything a mother should be. Looked out for me, kept me out of trouble…taught me things- the hard way, but it was always for the best. Always felt that I hadn't done enough to deserve her; she was a nice lady. So it was just the two of us, until I was fifteen. I never expected her to just stay alone, you know? I tried to look after her as best I could, but I was young. There was only so much I could do. But until then, it'd been like a perfect life with just us. Still, I'd always thought she should've had someone who'd look after her like she should have been looked after.'

William looked down at the petite blonde resting in his arms. _She deserves someone who'd look after her like she ought to be looked after. _He watched as the wind blew a wisp of hair across the exposed skin of her upper chest and took in the contented expression on her delicate features. _So trusting. _He was shaken from his thoughts when he heard her whisper,

'Did she find someone?'

'Lawson, don't even know how they met. He was like how our life had been till he came into it; perfect. On the outside at least. But God he was rough; first rate son of a bitch. Mother never knew the worst of it of course. He hid it completely, just like the smooth bastard he was.'

Leaning against his chest, Buffy felt it immediately when William's heart beat began to race in anger at the thought of this Lawson. She tried subtly to calm him, stroking the skin on the back of his hand with her thumb. For a split second she considered suggesting that he stop, but the pure tension and venom in his voice told her to do otherwise; she'd never heard him like this before. _So open. So trusting._ He'd stop himself if he felt he was revealing too much, right?

'Few months later he'd moved in with us. The "perfect partner" neighbours had called him, even I have to agree; he was good to her. He'd always been indifferent with me, until about six months later. He picked me up from school on a Friday I remember. I'd just turned 16 and he told me he'd show me the world. And it was a world. Gangs, drugs, fights, illegal trading of all sorts, women. Everything you could possibly do underground…he showed me.'

'I don't- I don't understand. When you say he "showed" you, you don't mean…you didn't actually…he didn't make you do those things, did he? Didn't you tell your mother?'

William looked down at Buffy with a small, regretful smile on his lips; he took one hand out from under hers and placed it down again covering hers,

'I'm sorry luv, I guess this is why I'd never been too keen to tell you all this. Afraid it might…change the way you see me. The things I'd done.'

'Why would this change anything, Will? It's not like you went out and looked to get involved in these things—'

At this he turned his head, breaking their shared gaze and spoke softly,

'The things I _would _do.'

Neither of them knew how long the pause that followed lasted before William spoke again in a low and unusually dangerous tone,

'Now, are you sure you want me to keep going?'

Buffy looked out into twinkling, light-decorated skyline before them; she didn't like where this was going, but—

'Yes.'

_to be continued..._


	4. Chapter IV

'He made me promise not to tell; threatened me, beatings and such. He said he'd do her something horrible if I told anyone. Couldn't let that happen, so I kept my mouth shut. He was a part of an underground ring that organised fights, called themselves The Immortals. These fights, they saw hundreds and thousands of dollars pass through those doors every night of every week. There was so much money. The people who watched them and made the bets, and even the guys who fought, they were involved in drugs, weapons; it was all connected. The fight clubs were just where they hung out together.'

'You mean like…Brad Pitt Fight Club? I never could picture people doing that in real life.'

Looking down at her again, he chuckled,

'Something like that, just… a bit worse. They did animal fights too; dogs, snakes, cock fights.'

'Wait, I'm still lost. You said they had money, right? If this guy was so loaded, why did he need to get involved with your family?'

'Cover story, pet. He was pretty high ranking among The Immortals. The gang had a history, been active for years. From what I learnt, the big seats had been passed down; always to the oldest child; didn't matter if it was girl or boy. Kept it all in the family, that's why they'd called themselves Immortals; been able to keep out of the authorities' mitts for generations. But, being so old, they'd obviously made a name for themselves and gotten more careless as time passed. Police and investigators, they started narrowing in. He didn't have his own family, so it was easy to find another life, a respectable one where he could disguise himself to hide his...nighttime…activities. Mother and I, we were just the perfect double life for him. An abandoned woman for him to rescue…'

Buffy nodded in understanding,

'And a son, who could take his place.'

'Right. So I went with him; to the fights, met guys from other gangs. He made arrangements with them for me to help them out with deals, heists, cover ups. During that time, that's when I became Spike. Made quite the name for myself too…but it was just to protect her. Couple of years passed, and his alter ego started to make a show at home. At first it was just grabbing, pushin' her around. I took him aside, told him he was outta line, to back off. Then the bruises got darker, more obvious. He'd done it as punishment, so I got back at him, all those years hanging round the mobs…they'd changed me.'

She shiver ran through her spine and she grasped one of his hands in a reflex. She bit her bottom lip, trying to calm her breathing. It was fear.

'I'd learnt things. So I screwed up some of his deals. Gave people different information, told his enemies how to play him over, even roughed up some guys…just to make sure he'd suffer. Round about that time, I find out that he'd got himself some other woman half his age on the side. I figured I'd make her my next target, take her from him. When I saw her, I knew there was something…We were in a club, she saw me first. She came onto me. Christ, we were shameless. I think about the things we would ha—'

William heard his voice crack with emotion and he struggled feeling his breath grow labored. He'd planned just to tell her the vaguest outline, get it all over and done with. But everything was spilling out. This would change everything; she'd never look at him the same way. She'd be disgusted, he just knew it. But at the same time, he felt it was right; telling her these things, like she had a right to know.

'Will? It's okay. You don't have to— if it's too hard for you to say.'

Suddenly, as if from far away, he heard himself speak,

'She had this tattoo. It was an 'R' in that olden day English calligraphy.'

'R?'

'Rosie, Buff. My sister.'

* * *

Buffy felt her throat close,

'Wha- what happened then?'

'Remember, when you were younger, how you always used to ask me how I got the scar on my eyebrow?'

'Yeah, you told me you were careless with a kitchen knife,' she let out a little chuckle towards the end, 'I _never _believed you.'

'Hmm, well it was partly true. Just not in the way you might think.'

Buffy turned to look up at him again, a questioning expression on her features which encouraged him to continue.

'I-uh…Lawson, a few days after, I took him into one of the backrooms of the fight club. I threatened him. Told him to pack off- to leave my mother and my sister. See, somehow in those years I'd managed to make a reputation for myself among the gangs with carrying out jobs. I'd met all the big heads, got to know them. In that world you can do anything if you've got no enemies. Anyway, I had him against a wall…managed to scar him pretty bad at least, probably would have killed him but we were interrupted. He grabbed the knife and managed to give to me this.'

He paused, unsure of what next to tell her.

'It wasn't long after that I met your dad. In hospital actually, he was uh…visiting a friend who introduced him to your mum. Huh, hospitals…'

William broke off, suddenly recalling the memory of eighteen years ago when he'd first held Buffy. And here they were, all those years later. She was in his arms again. It was strange, how these things he noticed those beautiful emerald eyes looking up at time. He remembered when she'd first opened her eyes as a baby.

Buffy shook his arm gently,

'And then?...Will? William? What about hospitals?'

'Huh? Oh, sorry pet. Memory lane, you know how it is. Um, well that was when Mother was in hospital. I didn't know why she'd been admitted, but when I arrived at the hospital I saw him. That bastard at her bedside, it was just appearances for him. We kinda roughed it out in the car park after, huh, sent him right back inside to intensive care. But it was when I was visiting Mother, I went every day for three months and during that time was when I got to know your dad. We'd see each other down at the cafeteria, twice a week for two and a half months; and we just started talking. He was only a humble legal clerk back then, but a good man I could tell. About a month in, he told me he'd seen me…that day in the car park. And he told me…he said, he knew it wasn't his business but that I should look after myself. If not for myself, then for Mother. Even when I think about it now, I don't know why I listened to him. It just felt right. I started cleaning up my act…eased out of the fight scene and hadn't seen Lawson for a good few weeks. Everything was on the up.'

As if he'd suddenly caught up with himself, William realised the juncture he had reached in his story and he felt his embrace around Buffy tightening protectively. Good things didn't happen to the women in his story. His mother, Rosie, even Darla. They always ended up hurt or dea— he clenched his jaw. No.

He exhaled. He always finished things, he'd finish the story.

'Then she died. I was lost, no purpose. No reason to look after myself. So I went back to the one thing I knew, I was like I'd never been away. I made more deals and money in those months than I'd done in those first few years all put together. Then one night in a club, he was back. He'd found out about how I'd sabotaged so many of his jobs. We fought, of course, again. I didn't know she'd been there—she pushed him away, tried to help me stand up. She looked so much like Mother in that moment, Rosie. She said she was sorry. I told her to get to safety, then she'd fallen into my arms. I could feel… on my hands…her bl—he'd slashed at her back. I heard someone yell for an ambulance, they took her from me. Didn't want to let her go, she told me she loved me, she said she was sorry.'

Buffy bit her bottom lip, she could feel the lump building in her throat, tears welling in her eyes. It was all so much. His story had touched her, and he had revealed so much about himself such a small length of time. She was overwhelmed.

'Next thing I know, you dad's sitting next to my hospital bed. All the mistakes that I realised I've made hurt more than the broken ribs, broken arm… he visits every day, offers me a place to stay. A chance to start ov—'

All of a sudden he felt her small body shake violently in a shudder and he heard her release an uneven breath.

'Buffy? Are you—'

She dropped her head, her body heaving with a sob. Brow furrowed he reached to turn her face to meet his and caught his breath at her teary eyes. When a single tear spilled onto her cheek he knew he'd never seen anything more beautiful. Buffy felt her lips part as she struggled to breathe normally, she felt her heart race as she caught a glimpse of his tongue dart out to moisten his lips. Realizing that he'd tenderly brushed away her tears, she repeated his action and gasped when his gaze fell to her lips. The blonde duo felt the tension crackling between them like a bomb seconds from detonating.

It exploded and they reach out to taste the forbidden.

Buffy was surprised hearing her own gentle moan reach her ears before she realised in pure satisfaction that Will has done the same, his tongue swiping the seam of her lips before brushing against hers. The protective grip he had around her waist pulling at her heart.

A burst of flames erupted from the tops of the water towers which lined the river bank before them.

Midnight.

And as if realizing the great, big boundary lined with neon signs flashing 'DO NOT CROSS', which they had gone and crossed, they broke apart. Buffy stepped shakily out his embrace, her hand raised to her mouth in a lustful shock. She quickly went to make her way back inside when she saw William close his eyes and turn away with a look of sadness, confusion and desire on his handsome features.

Turning back to him, she called to him quietly but clearly,

'Will?'

He jumped at this but turned anxious to see her reaction.

'Happy Birthday.'


	5. Chapter V

Somehow in the space of only an hour or two, Buffy had managed to transform herself from a perfect example of sobriety to complete leglessness. And this was evident to no one more than her father who struggled to retrieve his eighteen year old from the car and carry her into their home.

'You know, I get that you're all legal aged and whatnot, but I had hoped you wouldn't take advantage of that straightaway. And definitely not this way,'

Liam spoke as he tried to reach his keys whilst trying to arrange a waking Buffy in his arms.

She tightened her embrace around him and buried her face in the nook between his neck and shoulder, inhaling his scent,

'Mmm, Daddy. Buffy love Daddy.'

'And she's still really a little baby girl, knows how to soften her father's heart. Hmm, I guess I won't have to worry about getting that other car and I can call up the credit card company and tell them to cancel—'

At this Buffy groaned her complaint and began to squirm more, making it hard for a chuckling Liam to open the door. He exhaled a large sigh of relief hearing William come up behind him.

'Need a hand there mate?'

'Yeah, could you take her?'

William tried his hardest to look in any other direction as Liam dropped Buffy in her somewhat lacking-in-fabric dress in his arms and they stumbled through the front door. He was grateful for the distraction from her toned legs when Liam spoke,

'Look, Will, it's pretty late. You should stay with us tonight. Buffy made up the guest room and then tomorrow morning…well, later this morning we can have you a birthday breakfast of some kind. See, I hadn't forgotten!'

William laughed, but grateful for the offer but his reply was stopped when he felt Buffy stirring in his arms, obviously disorientated to her prone position more than a meter above the ground. He tried to make his way quickly to the living room but her jerking movements made it near impossible. The dining room was closer.

'Hey Buff- you're alright. Shh, just relax sweetheart.'

He deposited her on the nearest surface he could find, the dining table. He almost immediately regretted his decision in doing so. She was a visual feast, her already short dress had ridden up even further on one side revealing the skin of a sun-kissed thigh. Her hair was mussed in the just-got-out-of-bed way. Raising one hand to her forehead, she slammed the other down on the surface beside her, her legs parting just slightly to stable herself. And that pout. He was positive that he would have groaned out loud had she not spoken,

'I don't feel so good.'

'I'd be worried if you did, pet…and I think it's time for bed.'

'Bed, mmm…'

She gave a tired nod and swayed as she struggled to right herself, one arm flying sideways and knocking the flower vase to the ground.

'Buffy Anne Summers! You are never drinking ever again young lady. Just like your mother's genes, one sip and she was off with the fairies. I don't think we can afford the upkeep if this level of destruction is what we can expect every time you have a martini.'

Liam looked around at the various objects strewn across the table, on the floor and at his daughter clearly unable to support herself to get down from the table top onto the ground in one standing piece. William's brow raised in amusement as he watched his friend run a flustered hand through his untamable hair.

'Will...could you, er…while I…um—'

'You want me put her to bed?'

The conscious part of Buffy instantly favoured this plan, and she slurred with arms outstretched,

'Buffy bed. Willie take Buffy. Yep, Willie carry Buffy.'

'Please. And try to make sure she doesn't break anything else on the way.'

'Done, sir,' he said as he bundled her up and made his way up the stairs, calling his goodnight to Liam on the way.

Buffy in his arms and on his way to _her _bedroom. He'd tuck her under the covers and retire to his own room. No, he'd have to remove her shoes first, he supposed he also should—no! There'd be removal of _nothing _else. Then he'd cover her and he'd smooth back her hair. Then he'd leave. The voice in his head told him this'd be the challenge of a life time.

* * *

_In a flash he saw her lace dress, torn and lying discarded on the rug which lined the hallway._

_He heard a clattering, muffled moans, whispers._

'_Don't stop.'_

_He saw the dining room, the vase which usually sat on the table's centre shattered on the ground._

_In a flash he saw one hand woven amongst short platinum blonde hair, the other gripping a straining bicep, nails biting into skin._

_He saw lips fused in a passionate kiss._

_In a flash he saw a forearm wrap around a waist, pulling it closer, tighter._

_He saw the lips break apart in a simultaneous gasp._

_He heard her voice, soft and rasping, desperate._

'_Don't stop.'_

_In a flash he saw her head thrown back in pleasure, blonde tresses flying, lips parted in a silent scream and eyes wide open; bright green. _

_Everything's still so unclear. ._

_He heard her husky cry,_

_William!_

_He realised,_

_Buffy._

Sitting up suddenly, body jerking. William woke.

* * *

Turning his head to the bedside table, the digital numbers on the clock flashed at him; 7.39am. Thirty-nine years and about 40 minutes ago, he'd been born. Catching sight of the photo of Liam, Buffy and himself, images of his dream flashed before his eyes and he looked down with a groan at the semi-tented sheet at his groin.

_Bollocks. _

_Bathroom._

_Now._

On entering the bathroom, he looked around in confusion. Buffy's things. Then he remembered the plumbing problems in her own bathroom which had seen her since move into the guest bathroom. He couldn't—not when she—in the same room. He'd try a cold shower first.

_to be continued..._


	6. Chapter VI

'Here we are, best wishes, Will. From me and Buffy.'

Liam placed the birthday presents on the table next to the humongous plate of pancakes. William's eyes grew wide at the four packages before him,

'Um Liam…you do remember me telling you not to get me anything right?'

'Ah! You know me, tend not to listen to the ridiculous things people say. Besides, you've done so much for us this past year, helping out with Buffy and everything. And I should probably go and wake her up…it's pretty much lunchtime.'

'Oh leave her for a while longer, stuck my head in an hour ago, she's out cold. But thanks man. You really didn't have to.'

'Yeah, well, birthday shopping with that girl's a nightmare; to be avoided at all costs. Anyway, you should go ahead and open those three. Probably best to leave that one so that you can open it with her; I'm sure she'd want that.'

William sat staring ahead at his best friend, a dozen thoughts whirling through his guilt-ridden mind. Once again he was faced with Liam's generosity, granted he'd keep his kiss with Buffy within his trove of inner most secrets, but the least he could do was tell him that he'd revealed his story to his daughter. The story they had agreed to tell her _together _almost 15 years ago.

Liam put a forkful of pancake and berries into his mouth,

'Go ahead, open them!'

He reached for the card which balanced precariously on the pyramid of presents, recognising Buffy's bubbly cursive.

_To the bestest, most dearest and fake-blondest William in the whole wide world,_

_Happy Happy Birthday!_

_Thank you so much for helping me out with school and everything this year; I'll owe you forever! _

_Dad and I both hope that you'll have a fantabulous and excitement filled birthday and that you'll enjoy your presents!_

_Love you lots, Buffy & Liam xoxo._

He gave Liam a smile as he placed her card to one side and pulled the nearest parcel to him. Removing the wrapping paper he let out a laugh as a box of hair bleach revealed itself and ran a hand through his chemically induced blonde curls with growing dark roots.

'You know Buffy when it comes to appearances!' Liam chuckled when he lifted a cup of coffee to his lips and indicated to the pile of presents, 'You'll love the one under that.'

Opening the wrapping, William instantly recognised the glaring font which covered the box which encased his next present.

'Passions: Complete Seasons. Aw man, you know me too well.'

'Now with that next small one…we're not encouraging you or anything. But we both now how you like to play around with it when you're bored.'

With a look of confusion and curiosity William retrieved a velvet box from the gift bag, opening it to reveal a slick, silver Zippo lighter. Smile spreading across his face, he ran the tip of his finger across the delicate engraving which read,

_Pratt of the Summers._

Looking up at Liam, the two friends let out a burst of laughter sharing their little family joke; a steady thumping down the stairs alerting them to Buffy's approach. Walking somewhat unstably she pushed her wavy locks from her face and crossed her arms, pout in full force.

'Buffy.'

'As if you opened them without me!'

'Afternoon to you too princess, don't worry, we left the most important one.'

Liam offered his arms towards his daughter who sat herself down in his lap, snuggling up to her father much like she had in the early hours of the morning. Trying to hold back a yawn she said quietly,

'I'll have it you don't want it.'

That in mind, William picked up the widest and largest of all his gifts. He felt a raised ridge along the sides. His lips parted in utter pleasant surprise at the picture which lay beneath the wrapping paper and a protective sheet of glass.

'Where did you find this?'

In the photo, a younger William lay napping on the Summers' living room couch, resting against his chest, a ten-year old Buffy. One of his hands rested protectively on her back, while she hugged his other arm, a contented smile playing across her features. A soft beam of sunlight filtered through the curtain behind them, adding a warm glow to the captured scene.

'I was just going through this box of stuff when I found all these old negatives. They're heaps more, but this was my favourite so I went and got it printed. I did extra touch ups and everything!' she added with a proud but tired grin.

'I love it, pet. Thank you.'

Feeling his brotherly instincts take over, he offered his arms to her. He and Liam shared a smile of mutual understanding as he stroked Buffy's hair and hugged her. When she heard her father rise from the table and head to the kitchen, she turned in William's arms and looked down at the photograph on the table. Then, more to herself than to the man whose lap she occupied she whispered,

'I wish things could be that simple again.'

* * *

Standing side by side in the kitchen, the two men prepared a simple meal which would be William's birthday dinner. Exhausted from the frivolities of the previous night, they prepared the ingredients in a companionable silence until they were shaken by splash which signaled Buffy's dive into the pool. Watching her through the kitchen window, he thought for a moment before turning to Liam and clearing his throat,

'I uh…had a talk with Buffy last night.'

'Oh yeah, I saw you. Just before midnight I saw you both outside.'

Midnight? Startled and fearful that their moment had been observed, William tried to hide his shock, failing to hear that Liam had continued talking.

'So what did you talk about? Will?'

'Well, I told her…I told her…about me. My story, I'm sorry I know that we'd agreed to tell her together. But she just brought it up and she got kind of…angry that I wouldn't say anything. So I…told her…?'

Expression openly displaying his concern, William quickly relaxed when Liam simply shrugged and went back to violently stuffing a chicken, a smile playing on his lips.

'Nah, don't be sorry, I knew that agreement'd never hold up. Not with Buffy being…as persuasive as she is. She'd waited long enough anyhow. How'd you explain it all at the end? How'd she react?'

_At the end we kind of made out then she walked away like nothing had happened._

'It upset her…she cried. But I'd explained my situation to her and everything. Actually she took it all pretty well.'

'Yeah, that's Buffy alright, always the adult…but the little girl at the same time. It's pretty impressive. You know, when she was two years old, three…I always used to think about her being a teenager and having pimply hormone controlled boyfriends and all those types of dramas. And then I'd have nightmares about having to give her the talk about the 'birds and the bees' you know? But she's so…independent. Detached almost, sometimes I wonder if Darla was stil—if she'd be the same. I'm worried university'll take her further away from me.'

'She chose UCLA didn't she? So she obviously loves it here at home with you more than you thought. And you know how much she wanted to go over to New York. There's a lot in her that you should be so proud of…'

He trailed off, mesmerized as he watched Buffy climb out of the pool, her body gracefully folded over as she bent to retrieve her towel. His gaze followed the rivets of water droplets which travelled down her neck, chest and in the dip of her navel before vanishing in the waistband of the bottom piece of her bikini. Gulping, he turned from the window and went to talk a large mouthful of his beer.

_One minute he looked at her like his baby sister and the next she was his baby…__**baby**__. God he was lost._

_to be continued..._


	7. Chapter VII

'That's not how I remember it! As I recall, there was that Anya girl who'd always manage to worm the topic of sleeping with you into any conversation. Everyone said it was her talent!' Liam laughed as the family of three shared their final meal for the day.

William ducked his head in embarrassment, and ran a hand down the back of his neck before reaching for a crumpled napkin to throw at Liam. Buffy had one hand clutched at her chest while she was bent over her plate of cheesecake laughing and struggling to take a breath.

'I'm sorry! But I- haha- I'm still back at Harmony dumping you for the guy in the honey-dripping antlers at Halloween! I'd love to meet her! She must be so hilarious! Or! You must have been a really ba-'

'Oi! Why don't _you _try putting up with bread-box Twenty Questions for days on en—stop laughing! And don't you start and all!'

While she had started to tilt dangerously on her chair, shaking with silent laughter, a large grin which threatened to break into a bout of hysterical laughs started to grow on Liam's face as he recalled the young William's relationship mishaps. When the cheerful atmosphere of the Summer's home was interrupted by the shrill ring of the house phone, William sat back and sighed in defeat as Buffy continued to giggle.

'I'll get it. Go easy on him Buff, you're in the kitchen tonight yeah?' Liam called over his shoulder as he went to take the call.

Rubbing her aching stomach muscles, she ruffled William's platinum curls as they began to clear up the table together.

'How about we bleach up those roots of yours tonight, Will? We can try to make you look presentable for when you go back to work next week…less Backstreet Boy,' she added with a cheeky grin.

'Hey! I'm presentable! I won that end of year company award to prove it, didn't I? "Best Dressed", first guy to win in 15 years!'

'Hah! And that's a _good_ thing! Doesn't that imply that you're somewhat…effeminate in your dressing?'

'…I do _not _look like a sodding Backstreet Boy!'

Continuing their playful banter as they made their way to the kitchen, they started at Liam's look of concern and business-like body language. Ending the call, he remained leaning on the counter quickly scribbling down notes,

'Urgent client meeting, something's gone wrong. They said it couldn't wait; I have to go into the office. I probably won't be back until late afternoon tomorrow. Will, you're more than welcome to stay again tonight if you want,' and pointing to the basket of medication in front of him he added, 'And Buffy, I noticed that your…um…you need to refill your prescription. Don't forget. And be good.'

Grabbing his car keys, he planted a kiss on his daughter's forehead and put a comforting hand on William's shoulder before rushing out of the house. Buffy and William stood beside each other laden with dishes as they registered Liam's sudden departure. Frowning, she looked down the corridor where her father had been,

'I'm always good.'

William looked at her incredulously and brushed past her towards the sink with a scoff.

* * *

'What's the name of this club, I can't remember but I'm alright, I'm alright, just dance!'

Buffy sang enthusiastically as she stood behind him, gloves pulled up to her elbows as she attended to his blonde hair and offending naturally brown roots. Watching her bounce around in the mirror in front of him, he sighed exaggeratedly,

'Tell me again why I let you pick the music?'

'Because I'm the one who's gonna _un_Backstreet Boy-afy you. And because I got you the best birthday presents ever!'

'You did at that, pet. You did at that.'

Looking down at the damp, bleached head of hair before her, she looked back at him thoughtfully in the mirror,'Why did you dye your hair?'

Securing the towel around his shoulders, he turned to her with a chuckle, 'Oh no, Buff. I think we've had enough stories to last us a while. Anyway, I want to see more of those old photos you said that you found.'

Peeling off the gloves, she pulled him up quickly before dragging him downstairs with a squeal of glee.

* * *

'Has Dad's hair always been like that?' Buffy looked questioningly at William who burst out with a laugh.

'I'll take that as a yes then. I just don't get it. Most days he doesn't even use much product…it's like it defies gravity,' she said in wonder.

Seated cross-legged on the floor, the box and photos scattered around them, William pulled a stack of pictures towards him. Smiling softly at the top image he turned it to her, 'Mom,' looking closely at the old print she said, 'you know, she kind of—I mean, I…kind of, look a bit like her.'

'Of course you do luv, you are her daughter after all. Everyday you look more like her,' he then handed her another picture where a laughing Liam carried Darla with her legs around his waist; waves, sand and a setting sun in the background, 'Beautiful.'

Setting aside her pile of photos, Buffy took this one and moved herself so that she was lying down, her head resting on his thigh. Sighing, she brought the picture closer to her face, studying the whole thing in detail. Will looked down at her, one hand automatically reaching out to stroke the blonde waves which spilled over his leg. Seeing that she was still engrossed with the picture, he allowed himself to take in porcelain perfection of her skin, her gracefully curved lashes. Her lips. He knew they should talk about what had happened the previous night, but he had no idea how to bring it up without avoiding the inevitable awkwardness. Part of him hoped that she had thought of it as a huge mistake and wanted to forget about it so that things could return to normal. But. A larger part of him hoped that she had felt the fire which had been building between them long before that night. This part of him just wanted to bend down to her and capture her lips again.

While he had been caught up in his thoughts, Buffy had long abandoned the photo of her parents and was enthralled as she watched William and realised that he was staring intently at her lips. She felt her breaths quicken as she noticed the distance between them getting smaller. God, she knew this wasn't right. He was more than twenty years her senior. He was old enough to be her father. And perhaps even worse, he was her father's closest friend.

_Wrong. Wrong. Wrong._

She heard the chant play over in her mind when she registered that her right hand had actually reached up to the back of his neck and she had raised herself up towards him.

Lips centimeters apart, William cradled the base of her head when he realised that she had spoken,

'You should probably go and wash your hair now.'

_to be continued..._


	8. Chapter VIII

Emerging from the bathroom, William made his way down the stairs toweling his hair dry when he noticed Buffy seated at the kitchen island cradling a mug of steaming liquid. As he approached, she turned to glance at him. Their expressions showing that they knew what had to be said. Leaning with his back against the sink, his body faced hers but looking down at the floor, he spoke first,

'We should probably talk.'

'I know.'

Looking up from her drink she watched as he struggled with his thoughts. With a large sigh touched with annoyance, she decided it was ridiculous.

'Oh, just say it. We _kissed,_ Will. You and me. With the bursting flames and the… bursting flames. I know you're going to say something about how we can never let it happen again, how nothing good could ever come of—'

'Buffy, we ca—'

'And I'm okay with that,' she looked down adding quietly, 'because I know what I felt.' Meeting his gaze she continued again with certainty, 'You can say whatever you like, but if you _dare_ say it was a mistake…I—I could never forgive you. We both know it was the furthest thing from a mistake.'

Head tilted, it dawned on him exactly how much of a young woman she become. And receiving a tight slap from his mental self, he realised just how much this side of her had made him want her even more. She'd felt it too. _God_, the way she looked sitting across from him, her eyes so determined and fiery. He just wanted to pull her onto the counter and show her exactly how much she meant to him. But, she did mean the world to him. Which was why he'd reached his decision. If they took this any further, his conscious would eventually get the better of him. He'd only cause her pain.

'I can't lie to you, pet. I think—I felt it too. But, what we felt then, we can't let it—if I don't say it, then we'll… want more. _Everything _would change, and probably not for the best. I'm sorry Buffy, I never wanted to hurt you, but kissing you…we made a mista—'

'Get out.'

He visibly flinched at the iciness in her voice and crossed his arms as if trying to shield himself. Heaving a sigh he looked from the angered blonde before him to the direction of the front door. He couldn't leave them like this; he couldn't get back to his apartment anyway, since that was where his car was. He'd made such a mess of it. Righting himself, he started to walk to the door.

'I am sorry, Buff.'

Still perched on her stool, she glared at his departing back. But it was as if the image of his open, shining, sky-blue eyes had been burned onto her corneas. She bit the inside of her cheek, physically twisting and squirming with indecision as she tried to choose her next move. She knew what she_ wanted_ to do, but she couldn't. Could she? As always, he'd been right. Dropping her head back with a groan of frustration she decided.

The world could go and screw itself.

Nerves steeled, she caught up to him in a few quick strides and grabbed his wrist to turn him around. Standing on her toes, she pulled him down to her with her free hand around the back of his neck. She felt the spark between them ignite as she crushed their lips together with as much passion as she could muster. Feeling him respond, she sucked sweetly on his bottom lip; then pulled away. She wanted to slap the hell out of him.

'Last night you told me that you've made a lot of mistakes in your life. Tell me they made you feel the way you felt just then.'

She didn't want him to answer, just wanted to make a point. So she pulled open the front door and pushed him out, slamming it shut before he could say a word. Falling back against the door, she looked around the house trying to figure out exactly what she'd done. She couldn't do it by herself; she had to make a phone call.

* * *

Running his tongue along his bottom lip he tasted her apple-infused lip balm and stared at the closed door in front of him.

She'd actually thrown him out.

Sitting on the ledge of the porch, he pulled out his new lighter and looked up into the night sky wishing for a cigarette.

She never ceased to amaze him.

* * *

Settling down on the couch she dialed the number of her favourite cousins, catching sight of William outside as she listened to the dial tone.

'Hi, this is Cordelia.'

'Cordy! Hey, could I talk to big sis?'

'Sure, Buff.'

Waiting for her youngest cousin to hand over the phone, she arranged the curtains so that she could watch him from her position. He didn't look too…he didn't really look anything. He was just sitting there, looking up at the sky. She heaved a sigh as she took in the sight of the moonlight highlighting his sharp features. She felt bad for second, wondering if he was cold without a jacket. But her frustration quickly returned when she realised that the nights had been warmer.

'Hey B! It's been ages!'

'Faith? Oh thank God, I need your help.'

'You? Need help? Jeez, the world must be ending.'

'Huh? What? Oh no, it's just…I don't know what to do.' 'Do about what?'

Sighing again, Buffy slumped in the couch, preparing herself for her cousin's inevitable excited reaction by holding the speaker further away from her ear.

'I- I kissed Will..?'

'You did what?! I can't believe it! You little skank-erina! How was it?! I bet it was awesome! The man has the lips of a God!'

'What?! No! No! Well, I mean yes…but no! That's not the issue! You're supposed to be helping me here. I think I screwed up.'

'Hey relax babe, no need to get all antsy. All you did was kiss him right? I mean, I get the whole awkwardness thing, the man's practically your older brother. Given, a significantly older but smokin' hot with lips of God brother—'

'Will you let me finish? Yeah, there was like…a second of awkwardness after the first time, bu—'

'Woah! First time? How many times are we talking about?' 'Just twice…well, two and half? No, no half. But the second time, it was more to prove a point and then I got kinda worked up and I threw him out.'

'You threw him out?! You didn't even give the poor guy a chance to say anything?'

'Well…no. And now he's just sitting outside. I mean, what do I do? I can't exactly just leave him there all night; he doesn't exactly look like he'll be leaving anytime soon.'

'He's still there? That's perfect then, go and let him talk, hear what he has to say. Then you can figure out what to do next. Although...you know if it was me I wouldn't bother with the talking. I'd just pull him in and jump his bo—'

All of a sudden a racket sounded in the background and Buffy heard the muffled thud of an explosion and shouting.

'Sorry, B. I gotta go, Cordy and Parker just broke the microwave and now there's this fire thing. Just go talk to him. And take detailed notes about everything that happens after, I wanna hear everything!'

Staring at the handset, Buffy hung up and threw it onto the pillow at her feet then looked out the window. She knew, amongst all the insanity her cousin had said that she was right about the talking. She hadn't been fair with him; so now she would be. Grabbing her cardigan in the hall, she quietly opened the front door and took a deep breath. There was a slight chill in the air.

_to be continued..._


	9. Chapter IX

'Aren't you cold?'

Quickly pulling his cigarette away, he used his body to shield it from her view and tried to discreetly wave away the smoke with his free hand before turning to face her.

'Doesn't feel so bad after a while.'

Walking towards him, she indicated to his hand which held the cigarette.

'Knew we shouldn't have got you that lighter. Where'd you get the smokes from anyway?'

'Gas station up the road.'

When he had seated himself next to her on the ledge, she chose to keep looking out into the darkness as she spoke.

'Look Will, I'm sorr—'

Lips pursed and head tilted, he stubbed out the cigarette and threw it into the neighboring garden. A smirk touched his lips as he took in Buffy's disapproval.

'No need to apologize, pet. Both know we could have handled it better.'

'Yeah…but still, I _did _throw you out of the house. I'm sorry for that,' placing on hand over his she was shocked at the coolness of his skin.

'You liar, you're freezing. Come on, I'll make you one of those hot chocolates with the tiny marshmallows.'

* * *

Back around the kitchen island, William held his drink with both hands, a boyish grin on his face as he watched Buffy put two marshmallows into her mouth before throwing more into her drink. Sighing, she held the near-empty box up in front of her,

'I've had so many of these lately. One day I'll wake up a big, squishy marshmallow.'

'Not to worry, pet. You'd make a gorgeous marshmallow.'

She gave him a playful frown over the rim of her mug. They felt the little dent which had formed in their relationship begin to heal. Then, a drop of hot chocolate slid down her mug and onto the side of her fingers. In a reflex she brought her hand to her mouth, quickly wiping it away with her tongue and bottom lip.

Opposite her, William sat enthralled and felt his mouth begin to water. His body ran on automatic when he reached out to catch her hand before she could clean her second finger. Holding her slender wrist, he could feel her steady pulse begin to quicken.

_What was he doing? How could he backtrack? Could he even do that now?_

If things worked out as they should have, he'd end up back on the porch freezing his backside off for the rest of the night. But his body worked against his mind as he slowly raised her hand and cleaned the liquid from her finger as she had, with his bottom lip and tongue. His eyes never moved from hers.

_So sweet. _

Keeping his hold on her, he watched her eyes widen and breaths quicken. She bit down on her lip and something clicked. Grasping her wrist tightly, he cleared the surface between them with a sweep of his arm. With his help she jumped up onto the counter, crawling over it before sitting on it in front of him. He gripped her hip as she went to wrap a leg around his waist. He stopped himself before their lips touched and he'd lose all cognitive thought.

'Kissing you could never be a mistake.'

There was a mutual moan when their lips fused. Buffy was lost in the taste of him, tinged with chocolate and marshmallow. She grabbed at his shoulder with one hand, the other feeling the soft strands of hair at the base of his head. His tongue stroked hers and he pulled her closer by her hip. Tightening both legs around him, she let out a muffled groan at the feel of his hand pushing past her skirt and up the side of her stockinged thigh. He massaged her gently through the nylon, but as he ventured higher and the material stopped, she broke away with gasping breaths. He never stopped, placing gentle kisses along her jawbone and down her neck, sometimes nipping at the succulent skin before swiping away the sting with his tongue.

His hand moved across her thigh and he let out a dark chuckle against her skin when he felt the clasp he'd suspected would be there.

'When did you start wearing garter belts hmm?'

'Mmgh!' she rasped when he bit down sensuously on the join between her neck and shoulder. He took in the sight of her flushed cheeks and lust burned eyes when he fully brushed aside her skirt to look down at her choice of undergarment. A shiver ran down his spine at the black lace and clasp which stood out against her creamy skin.

'Oh Buffy.'

And with that he bent down to place chaste kisses along the top of the stocking, groaning when he felt her legs part further. Leaning back on one hand, she used the other to run through his hair and massage the muscles at his shoulder. Amongst all the aching desire swirling through her mind, the voice in her squealed in delight that this was really happening. Forcing her eyes to refocus, she tugged on his shirt trying to bring his lips back to hers but pushed some containers off the counter in the process. His hot breaths on her skin were playing havoc with her nerve endings, but this wasn't the place.

'Wait, wait! Not enough space. Up-upstairs.'

Pulling away reluctantly he held her body tightly to his. But as he made his way to the staircase, a far better idea entered his lust-riddled mind and he headed for the dining room. Laying her down on the table he went back to her leg and slowly kissed his way upwards, relishing her gasps. His conscience chose the best time to prod at him when he passed the middle of her inner thigh.

'Buffy, stop me.'

'C-can't…mm, don't stop.'

A low rumble sounded in his chest and he took the clasp of her garter, tearing it away before doing the same to the other leg. He pulled away at the sound of her husky voice, touched with annoyance.

'Do you have any idea how much those cost me?'

'I'll get you another, love them on you even more.'

Bringing her to a sitting position, he let out a surprised moan when she pulled him in for a rough kiss, her tongue running along his teeth. His hand continued the journey up her thigh, teasing the elastic on that side of her cotton black, hipster underwear. For just a moment he remembered back to his days of youth and how lacy, see-through fabrics made his blood rage in want as it did now. She made everything so bloody sexy. His thoughts quickly changed to just how sexy she was when his thumb swept under the fabric, feeling the searing warmth of her skin.

Buffy was adrift in the sea of sensations, inhaling that pure William scent mixed with smoke and cologne. She never knew such feelings existed to be felt, but his ghostly touches were driving her to the brink of sanity. She grabbed his hand between her legs, directing it to the waistband of her panties, encouraging him to take it off.

They both knew that this was just the first threshold which would set them down the lustful red bricked road of no return. She saw his eyes flash with a hint of uncertainty and his arm tense at her movement. She almost swooned at the tender care shown in his expression. She'd done _this _only twice before and tried to rack at her brain to figure out how best she could show him how much she wanted him to keep going. Somehow, through the haze, she had reached up to cup his chin and gently swept the pad of her thumb across his bottom lip. Her eyelids flickered as she spoke softly,

'T-touch me.'

A shudder of desire overtaking him, William kissed a tantalizing line down her throat and then hooked a finger in the waistband of her underwear. Feeling the tug, she made her own move, starting to undo the buttons of his shirt from the bottom up.

Now, Buffy had seen William sans shirt on more occasions than she could count on her toes and fingers together. As she'd gotten older, the odd 'friends and extended family barbeque by the pool' get together had tested her restraint in obviously ogling him in front of everyone and jumping into those teenage gossip sessions fuelled with comments about 'Will and the illegality of his hotness'. She'd reached the conclusion that age and frequent gym sessions had only done his body twice the world of good; one year from forty, and to her, he had never looked as physically perfect and statuesque has he did right then.

Reaching straight for his belt buckle, she used it to pull him even closer and placed an open mouthed kiss right below his bellybutton. Scraping her teeth lightly against one perfectly formed abdominal muscle, she giggled when she heard him release a strangled gasp. She did it again, this time on the muscle below adding a swipe of her tongue. Looking up at him, she felt her thighs and inner muscles tense at the sight of him; his eyes closed, head bowed and tilted, biting his lip. And that chest.

_Oh God. So hot. _

Coming back to herself, she realised that his eyes were open and he looked down at her with a leer. She'd never seen him look that way, but already it ranked at least top three in her list of favorites. Taking a firmer grip on her underwear he asked in a deep voice,

'What did you say?'

Her brow furrowed, she didn't remember saying anything. Unless…her thoughts weren't as confined to her head as she thought. Oh, that was embarrassing. She felt her cheeks flush and she looked away.

'You think I'm hot?'

'Just a bit,' she said coyly.

'Hmm…'

urling his tongue, he slid his fingers inside her undergarment feeling her trimmed curls and a scorching heat. He sucked in a breath,

'Could say the same about you, pet.'

Her lips parted in a silent gasp and she felt her hips jerk forward causing his fingers to brush more forcefully just above her now throbbing bundle of nerves. Crushing their lips with a groan, he brushed her labia, evidence of her arousal coating his fingertips.

'But it'd be an understatement,' and he took his fingers away, moving them upwards. To his surprise, Buffy quickly grabbed his wrist putting his fingers in her mouth, her tongue gently caressing them.

That put his plans of slow and teasing to an end and he tore away her panties and garter belt with his free hand. Laying her down again, he scraped his teeth on her exposed abdomen while his fingers traced her soaking entrance. Hearing her whispers of want, he used his little finger to slightly part her netherlips before stooping down to suck unabashedly on her swollen nubbin. She thrashed under him, her hands at his shoulders and on the back of his head.

'Oh G-uh! Will!'

She felt her inner walls clench uncontrollably, wanting nothing more than his talented fingers to fill up the growing chasm between them. She tightened both legs around him. He pulled her back up and into a breathy kiss, his fingers slowing pushing into her. Breaking from their kiss, his eyes rolled back and he gasped at the feel of her pulsing heat. Palm pressed firmly against her clitoris, he curved and twisted his fingers inside her. Buffy's eyes were wide but unseeing, her hips jerking at the shards of pleasure he brought her. The pressure and friction were delicious and building up so fast. It was her every forbidden William fuelled fantasy come true.

'Ugh! Ohh mm-yes!'

Feeling his fingers withdraw, she was about to whimper in protest, when he plunged them back inside, the coarse skin of his knuckle hitting a pleasure spot and bringing her to climax. Crying out her delight, he groaned at the sensation of her tensing muscles tightening around him and the warmth of the slick juices which covered his hand. He brought her to the edge of the table and fixed her legs around his hips, grinding his denim covered erection against her clit. Jaw clenched, he groaned and encouraged her,

'That's it babe, come for me.'

She felt her climax grow and she pressed herself against him riding out the waves, her head falling back in ecstasy. He was sucking her spendings off his fingers looking immensely pleased when she managed to open her eyes. Seeing her come around, he swept her up in his arms, grabbed the discarded items of clothing and made his way back to the staircase.

Fantasy fulfilled; now they could go upstairs.

_to be continued..._


	10. Chapter X

Buffy felt her breathing calm and return to normal as he carried her up the stairs and into the second story hallway. Moving her head from where it rested against his shoulder, she could feel the uncertainty and guilt about what they had done radiate off his body. The lustful air between them had since dissipated. She had thought that things were back on the road to normality. When he'd grabbed her wrist, she'd seen his battle of thought but still jumped up willingly onto the counter.

What the hell had just happened? She was the one who had encouraged him. Her thoughts flashed back to their conversation pre-throwing out "nothing good could ever come it…everything would change, and probably not for the best". Oh God. Had she ruined them?

He'd stopped in his tracks the second he felt Buffy's body tense and the world came hurtling back to him. It had been their moment of weakness, _his_ to be exact. He tried to rationalize it, but he couldn't. Just seeing her across from him; everything felt so right. Had that first kiss they shared on the balcony been enough for him to forever crave her?

Suddenly he felt her shiver, and looking down he saw her eyes wide with fear and anxiety. Her voice was frail,

'Will? What—I'm…I don't…'

His body kicked into autopilot when he saw her panic and eyes begin to tear. He rushed into her room, sitting her gently down on the side of the bed and draping the light throw around her shoulders. He handed her a tissue before retrieving his shirt from the hallway floor and slipping it back on. He kneeled before her, too scared of himself to touch her, and watched as she dabbed away the tears.

'Will, why do I feel like this? Why does it feel like we're— tell me we're not hurting anyone.'

He felt his heart sink. The name of the person hung unspoken in the air between them.

Liam.

His eyes shone at her with a desperation, begging her not to make him name him.

'Buffy, what happened before. I-'

'God,' her voice was strained, her hand flying up to cover her mouth as she tried to stop more tears from falling.

Looking down at the ground, he clenched his fists in frustration. He was a pathetic, brainless twat. He didn't even know where to start. Why was it so hard for him to explain? He loved this girl and it terrified him. She'd filled up the dark, empty, angry void in his soul; filled him with light, hope and all those happy things. She was his own personal angel. And it didn't matter _when _he'd become so irrevocably hers, or about the twenty one years that separated them. Somehow, along the way, their fates had been bound. Head still bowed, he jumped straight into the deep end,

'You're everything I ever wanted Buffy. Everything I _could_ ever want.'

She blinked rapidly at his words and took an uneven breath. Her heart skipped a beat when he raised his eyes to her, open and vulnerable with emotion,

'I don't know why…but there are things I can share with you that I never dreamt I'd say to another person. You've been a gift, sweetheart. You saved me. I know I've been far from deserving… but I've gotten to watch you become this strong, breathtaking, beautiful young woman. Best of all, after all these years, it's as though… I have you. I know I've been lucky enough to have so much, but still it's like…it's not enough…I want more. After all the things I've done. What kind of person does that make me?'

Overcome with shame, he looked away.

Trying to stop her hand from shaking, Buffy reached out to turn him back to her. But he kept looking down. Touching his chin she said,

'Look at me, William. Everything you've done, all of it, I couldn't care less. I've seen you. I _know_ you and I would never doubt you, so neither should you. No one will ever mean as much to me as you do.'

She brushed away a tear from his cheekbone then smiled softly,

'My William.'

Relief flooded through him that she had seemed to accept his poorly executed apology. Taking her hand he placed a chaste kiss on her knuckles,

'Don't wanna hurt you, I love you.'

His voice rang with the same truthfulness as it had all those hundreds of times before he told her this, but his eyes betrayed him. Something was different this time, and it rendered her helpless in her struggle to resist him. He sat up straighter, the space between them closed until their foreheads touched intimately. She could feel the warmth of his gentle breaths against her skin and her eyes fluttered shut. This was too much, no matter how many times or how hard they'd tried t—she wanted him. She had never been so certain.

She parted her lips, preparing to say exactly so. But she was interrupted,

'Buff- I can't…I'm sorry.'

Her eyes flew open and she felt her heart begin to fall out of her chest; her last chance to bear herself to him, and she'd missed it by a fraction of a second. Then, his lips were against hers.

'Can't resist you, luv. Don't know how.'

* * *

She pulled him next to her onto the bed, their lips never parting. Feeling her push his shirt off his shoulders, he grabbed her by the waist pulling her closer. His hand travelled under her blouse and up the side of her ribcage. She inhaled sharply, skin tingling at the sensation.

Rolling them over, William looked down at her flushed complexion, her eyes hooded but shining with desire. He sucked on her neck before lightly rubbing his cheek down her soft skin exposed by the v-line cut of her top, smelling the rich fragrance of her perfume. He groaned against her skin when he felt her arch into him,

'Oh Buffy, how I want you.'

Everything he did was a dream come true. Giving him the gentlest, most tender of kisses she whispered,

'So take me.'

_to be continued..._


	11. Chapter XI

It was all such a sin. The way his skin tingled when he felt her hands glide across his skin, the way her gasping breaths felt against his skin. His bare chest against hers made her feel as though she was about to explode with desire. It took her breath away, the way her whole body rang when he worshipped her with feather light kisses. All she felt she could do was pull him closer, arch herself into him. It was complete and total overwhelming need.

William could feel her burning heat when she gripped her legs tightly around his him. Groaning against her form, he chuckled when she cried out at the sensation of the vibrations so close to her breast. But it was his turn to voice his pleasure when she raised her hips and rubbed herself against his abdomen, her moisture soaking into him. Feeling his hands wonder downwards towards her mound, she grasped at his upper arms and rasped,

'Will, please. Need you.'

His eyes fell shut, waves of pleasure sweeping over his body. He knew at that moment that there'd never be another woman who could bring about such passion and love in him. He couldn't explain it, but everything felt so right. His world literally revolved around this gorgeous girl who was now offering herself body and soul to him, his heart expanded. But as he realised the reality of what they were doing, he couldn't help but wonder exactly how far she'd been with her past boyfriends. His blood raged at the thought of another man graced with the sight before him, but at the same time his conscious burned the question of whether he was man enough to take her virtue. But remembering their lack of protection, he decided it was the perfect cover for him to discover more of her sexual past.

'Buffy, sweetheart, I don't have any con-'

She blushed, looking away, 'I-I have some.'

Gently she nudged at his right shoulder to raise him higher before rolling on to her stomach and reaching for the cabinet of her bedside table. Pulling out a box, she dumped it on the surface and took out a little silver square. While she did this, he peered inside the box seeing that while it wasn't empty, it wasn't exactly full either. It seemed he'd gotten his answer. To an extent, this didn't surprise him. Buffy _was_ a beautiful girl, and her last relationship with Harris had been a fruitful one lasting several years until the young couple had realised that they'd found a solid friendship in one another opposed to a lover.

Offering him the packet, he took it from her placing a kiss on the back of her hand before rolling off her to put it on.

Just as he tore it open, her hand went to cover his and she moved to take it back from him. She kissed him sweetly, encouraging him to lie back and whispered, 'Let me.'

His jaw clenched and he groaned in surprise when she bent down to place light kisses at the base of his erection and her thumb swept across the moisture on his seeping head. He struggled for breath when she delicately massaged his balls before rolling on the condom.

The sounds he made caused Buffy to shudder in anticipation as she crawled back up to him and straddled his pelvis. She'd waited for this moment, dreamt of it. While her past experiences had been fulfilling, she always felt as though she'd held back. But this moment, here with William, Buffy had never experienced such a feeling of purpose. They didn't need to speak when she pushed down on his hips to stop him from rolling them over and his eyes darkened with passion when he realised what she wanted. Bracing herself on his chest, they both gasped when she brushed her throbbing centre quickly but firmly over his shaft. Then, aligning him at her entrance, he gripped her hips with vice trying to control himself from thrusting upwards as she slowly sank down and he filled her completely, their pelvises pushed flushed together.

He panted forcefully at the feel of her heat surrounding him so perfectly. He could feel the rhythm of her heartbeat pulsing around him. Buffy felt tears sting at the corner of her eyes, her walls spasming uncontrollably. She was already on the cusp of release.

This was the way they'd always meant to be.

'Buff—'

But her trembling clenches around him and the way she bit down on her lip were too much. His hips jerked up, burying him even further inside her.

'Will! Nugh! Ohhh God!

She felt herself falling, the waves of her climax sweeping over her; each movement of her hips creating the most exquisite friction. William could feel his resolve slipping and he pressed her to his chest before rolling her onto her back. Hands planted beside her head, he began a slow and steady thrust reaching deeper inside her with each one. Eyes wide open he took in each of her pleasured expressions as he continued to draw out her orgasm.

Feeling the fire of another one building, she wrapped her legs tightly around him, meeting his thrusts and pulling him deeper. She brought him in for a deep kiss, delighted when he broke away to groan loudly,

'Buffy! You are s-so…ughh! Perfect.'

'Oh God, William! Harder, baby. Uhh! N-never stop!'

Taking her right ankle, he pulled her leg up over his shoulder doing a hard grind against her with each movement. When he felt her nails scratching at his arms, he bent forwards roughly suckling and moaning against each of her tender breasts.

Buffy thrashed her head to the side, clutching his head to her chest, her eyes squeezed shut and her lips parted in a silent scream. She could feel his tenderness in every movement. Everything about it was so intimate. He was giving himself entirely over to her, but even with each hard scrape of his pelvis against her aching pearl it still wasn't enough. When her climax hit, she tightened her walls around his throbbing length with all her strength, determined to pull him over the edge with her. Then, lost in ecstasy she tugged on his bicep and bit down hard on the top of his shoulder with a pleasured cry.

As much he wanted to hold off, Will shuddered at the sudden sting which ran down his arm. It distracted him, and with the deepest and hardest thrust that moved them further up the bed making Buffy raise an arm to protect her head from the headboard, he pressed his lips against hers in a fiery kiss and groaned his climax. But she was relentless, continuing to grind up against him and milk him for all his worth.

Rolling back over so that she lay on top, the blonde and breathless duo panted heavily trying to get back their breath. He rested one hand protectively on her back while she held his other hand up to her chest. William mused back to the photo she'd given him.

_Things didn't change. They hadn't changed. And most likely they never would. If anything had changed, it'd only be that he loved her even more than he had before. There was no way he'd take back the night. No way he could. And he hoped she'd be the same._

He gently stroked her hair and placed a kiss on her forehead. He watched her smile softly and nuzzle against his chest before her eyes flickered shut.

_Maybe it was just all a part of a story, their story, where each part held threads of commonality. This was the end of one chapter. But another had just begun._

_

* * *

to be continued..._


	12. Chapter XII

_One week later…_

Buffy felt a buzz from her pocket as she waited in the queue of the bookshop; her arms overflowed with spanking new textbooks. Transferring them all over into one arm, she pulled out her phone.

_Finished early. Taking you to dinner, 6.30? W. x_

She felt the pounding of her heart echo through her chest and she replied quickly with a growing smile.

_6.30. If I'm out of this queue by then. xx. _

Seeing the unmoving mile of people ahead of her, she let herself slip into her thoughts.

Ever since that fateful night, they had been granted very little time together. It was as if the stresses of their fast-paced lives had been thrown at them with full force in retaliation of all the time they'd spent recalling the past. Will, who had continued his childhood love for the written word and worked as an editor with a top publishing firm, had suddenly been swamped with meetings and manuscripts. Meanwhile, with just two and a half weeks until she would be starting university, she had been paying the price of putting off her preparations.

Exhausted by the emotional and physical demands of 'that' night, the pair had woken at mid-morning and worked frantically to return the house to normality before her Dad returned home. In the somewhat routine of the following days, dinner at the Summer's abode was their time together. If they were lucky, they were able to sneak in a desperate kiss hidden by the cover of dark and the large tree outside when she walked him out to his car each night. And there was that one night when-

Buffy started when the studious looking girl behind primly tapped her on the shoulder and pointed ahead to the moving line. Stepping forward, she hugged her books to her falling back into her memory…

_She could hear the sounds of washing up doing on downstairs. _

_Quarter past 9. _

_He'd be leaving in 15 minutes. That was more than enough time. _

_Checking herself in the mirror, she fixed her mindset and made sure to make her presence known as she loudly trudged her way downstairs._

'_Help. I__** need**__ help!'_

'_What with, baby girl?'_

_She freshened her pouty expression,_

'_With all of this booklists and major subject choose-age! I swear those instructions are in some kind of code; words! Too many words! And put in confusing order.'_

_When her father bent down to the dishwasher, she threw Will a sultry grin. She saw his automatic response of panic flash in his eyes before he raised a scarred eyebrow when she subtly ran her thumb across the waistband of her track-pants. _

'_Will! You can read! Help Buffy!'_

_She bounded across the kitchen to grab his hand, pulling him along with her. She heard Liam let out a laugh when he took the towel from William and say,_

'_I think Basic English Grammar 101 might be good starting point.'_

_Throwing him a frown over her shoulder, she pushed Will in the direction of the stairs. But when they reached the security of her room, their roles quickly switched when he pulled her towards him by the join where the top of her thigh met her bottom. Their lips met in a flurry, the issue of breathing becoming a problem as their tongues tangled. They finally parted when they'd fallen on her bed, hands grabbing wherever they desired. _

_He was panting heavily against her neck when she realised that she'd begun to grind herself against his growing arousal. She hadn't meant to go that far, just meant to snog the hell out of him. Face still buried against her she heard him say huskily,_

'_This is such a bad idea.'_

_She turned to face him, biting her lip saucily and speaking in an innocent voice,_

'_Oops. Now what'll we do?'_

_She gasped her approval with another hard grind upwards then flipped them over. Crawling down his body, he'd grabbed her wrist when she reached for his belt buckle. _

'_Don't you dare.'_

_She felt herself flush at the dark, menacing tone of his voice but slapped him away so she could continue, keeping an ear out for noises which told her that they remained alone upstairs. When the metal of his buckle clinked he'd breathed her name and when he was finally fully exposed to her, she looked back up to him tenderly._

'_But I've missed you.'_

'_Missed you too, pet.'_

_And with that she'd taken him into her mouth, her tongue running tantalizing lines across his throbbing veins and sucking with all her might. While one hand ventured downwards to massage her other favorite parts of his anatomy, the other had flown upwards to try to muffle his strangled moans. She'd whimpered around him when he pressed her hand harder to his lips, biting down on it before slowly sucking on her index finger. She relished his rough whispers as he reached orgasm,_

'_Ngh! Bu-Buffy! Ye-go—'_

'Next, please!'

Buffy frowned in frustration at the young, pimply guy behind the counter and dumped her pile of books and card on the counter. Inwardly, she giggled at his flinch when she said hostilely,

'On credit.'

Bags hanging on her arms she exited the crowded store and jogged towards her car. She grinned with excitement, wondering where he'd take her. Her slight panic about choice of wardrobe quickly passed when she contemplated staying the night at his apartment. It was a Thursday night after all, commonly accepted party-night. And it wasn't as if she hadn't done it before. _And _Liam would be back late, what with Thursday nights also being designated weekly General Board Conference Meet.

Yep. They'd finally reached the end of their period of stolen interludes.

Temporarily, anyway.

* * *

_to be continued..._


	13. Chapter XIII

'Would that be a red or white for this evening?'

She looked at him expectantly, not saying a word.

He returned her expression, his eyes sparkling with amusement and a smirk playing on his lips.

'Red,' he paused to check that he'd answered correctly then added, 'Of course.'

After the waiter had left, they continued to consider each other across the table, an interesting blend of affection and sexual tension simmering between them.

His gaze never moved from hers when he reached into his pocket,

'As a very intelligent, young woman once told me, "White for the light of day, and red for the heat of night."'

The corner of her mouth lifted in a coy smile and she nodded in approval,

'You remembered. I'm impressed.'

She looked down at the black velvet box he'd placed in front of her.

'What is that?'

His voice was richer and his accent thicker than she'd ever heard it before.

'Why don't you open it and find out.'

The casing revealed a slender, bright silver key which had been strung on a delicate chain of white gold. Her lips parted in a muted gasp and she admired its shape before looking up at William questioningly. He choked back a laugh,

'It's a key.'

'Thanks, I was totally flummoxed,' she deadpanned. Rolling her eyes, she reached over to poke his shoulder, 'I can see that you…you British bonehead! What is it a key _to_? What does it open?!'

Crossing his arms, William sat back in the couch seat of their little booth.

'Since you were so rude, you don't get to find that out!'

'I was rude?! And what are you now? Five years old?'

With lips pouted, he lifted his chin in defiance. Her posture slumped and she heaved a sigh. She knew how stubborn he could be, but her curiosity got the better of her and she knew she had to make good. She looked at him with wide eyes and an angelic smile.

'I'm sorry, Will. You know I adore you. Forgive me?'

He looked away, trying to fight the grin he could feel pushing outwards.

'You're partially forgiven_. Partially_.'

'So will you tell me what the key opens now?'

'My new apartment.'

Her brow furrowed. She loved his apartment. Well, old apartment now. Sure it was small, but it had been homely, comfy. And they'd spent a lot of fun-filled, movie watching, star gazing nights there together. When she felt his hand touch hers, she realised that her obvious lack of excitement had concerned him.

'Requirement of the job I'm afraid, pet. All a part of the promotion. It's still in the same building though.'

Looking back up at him, her eyes widened,

'What promotion?'

He ducked his head shyly, 'It's really not a big deal.'

With an excited squeal, she pulled him towards her across the table, but suddenly remembering where they were and she settled for planting a big, unsuspicious kiss on his cheek.

'Of course it's a big deal, you crazy man! That's so awesome, well done!'

Once the excitement had begun to settle in, Buffy looked back down at the key sparkling away against the black fabric and she felt her smile started to fade. She had a key to his old apartment, but it hadn't been given to her with such ceremony. This was symbolic. Things were different. She touched the delicate chain; it was also clearly meant to be a necklace. Why did everything have to be so cryptic? A dozen thoughts fluttered through her mind; a key to his new home. To be worn next to her heart. A key to _his _heart?

'Will…I—we…what are we going to…I mean, as much as—I just don't know how we can—'

'We don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with, sweetheart. Nothing has to change.'

Buffy looked at him incredulously before she softened, 'Everything's already changed. There's no way in the world I could go back to the way things were, I…I want to be with you.'

William felt his heart soar at her admission, but he quickly tethered it down. He had to finish making his point, but most of all; he had to bring "him" up. Liam. If there was any chance they could make this work, they couldn't hide their thoughts about him like they would be hiding their feelings for each other from him. Too many secrets never led to anything good.

'I want to be with you too, Buffy. So, so much. But you have to understand, and it's not just about the age thing. As hard as we try, this won't—'

'Dad, I know. He'll find out, eventually,' her voice was almost a whisper.

'And it'll hurt him, pet. Terribly. I can't do that, not after everything he's given me. He gave me you. Literally handed you over to me the day you were born…to protect you, to keep you away from harm. He'll find out, pet, and when he does it's gonna hurt him and it's going hurt to you, and I don't want that to happen. I don't want to hurt you.'

Buffy backed slightly away from the table, sitting up straighter. She blinked and her eyes flashed with something he couldn't quite name.

'What are you saying?'

He reached over to cover her hand with his,

'I just want you to be sure, sweetheart. That's all. You'll be at university soon, and you're just starting out with your life—'

William realised he'd dug himself into a hole when she took her hand away and fixed him with a sharp glare. Her voice was strained as she held down the lump of emotion which steadily rose in her throat,

'How can you say that after the other night? There's no one else, Will. Understand that. I know what I want, and what I want is you. Just you, I'm sure of that. You won't hurt me.'

'Buffy, you can't know that—'

'No. No, William. You are wrong,' he flinched as she raised her voice. But more so at her use of his full name; ever since she was young, the only time she'd call him 'William' was when she was unhappy with something he'd done.

Buffy glanced around realizing she'd started to draw attention to herself in the intimate setting of the small restaurant. She exhaled slowly to calm herself and lowered her voice,

'I love my father, I really do. But if he can't see what we have, if he can't understand…that you are the person to _protect_ me from all the crap out there then maybe he hasn't thought properly about what it is that's best for me. I lo—'

She caught herself quickly. Those words just didn't have the same meaning they'd held before; they were so much more complicated, too complicated for them to address now. No, she knew that he knew how she felt about him; there was no need for her to have to say it as well. She cleared her throat, 'I am sure'.

_Well_, he thought to himself _that certainly seemed to have cleared the unspoken air between them. _William knew that it'd be impossible for them to be fully prepared for whatever would come their way if they went ahead with this. He knew it was a crass way of putting it, but he supposed that they'd just have to cross that bridge whenever they came to it. But he also knew that he'd always been helpless when it came to matters of the heart. And his belonged truly, and entirely to Buffy. He closed the lid of the velvet box and placed her hands over it with his on top.

'Okay then.'

* * *

It was only a minute later when their meals and wine were brought out to them, and their dinner continued without a hitch. In the muted lighting, William took in every ounce of the beauty and grace that radiated off her. Her eyes were bright with utter content and the way she'd touch his hand gently as they spoke made him feel so cherished.

But by the time they'd reached dessert and he'd refused her a third glass of wine (just to be safe) Buffy had begun to deploy her arsenal of tricks to try to persuade him otherwise. She giggled in delight as his eyes widened in surprise when she ran the toe of one blood-red pump up his calf dragging the fabric of his pants along. He busied himself with the cheesecake in an effort to distract from the feel of her delicate ankle now rubbing the side of his knee.

'Will?'

He looked up at the sound of her voice, coy, suggestive and most _definitely _up to something. He swallowed hard,

'Mm-hm?'

She toyed with her fork, swirling it through the dollop of whipped cream.

'Back on the topic of apartments…can I…stay with you tonight?'

He held back a smile and caught her ankle as she continued to run it along the outside of his leg. Gently massaging the soft skin, he smirked when she bit down on her lip to restrain a moan. _God, she was gorgeous like this._

'Does Miss Summers require constant supervision?'

She swiped just the tip of her thumb on the corner of her plate and sucked away the raspberry sauce.

'She does.'

With a gulp he wondered how she always managed to turn the tables on him. Perhaps it was time to go home.

While William arranged the bill, she pulled out her phone to message her father about her plans to stay away from home for the night. Though her conscience niggled at her as she composed the usual 'Staying over with Will', she reasoned that she _was _being perfectly honest after all. But she was halfway through when another message came in. It read;

_All set for fl. Call me tonight. yfc xo._

Oh.

YFC; Your Favourite Cousin as Faith had dubbed herself.

One and a half weeks ago she would have skipped and jumped in joy. But at that moment, she felt her heart sink.

Oh no.

_to be continued..._


End file.
